If you are thinking about climbing Carstensz Pyramid using a local guiding company, I suggest you do not use the company below. He charged me and 13 others US$8,000 each and then left us in Timika. He final email to me is below along with his contacted details. Unsurprisingly he has not refunded me, or indeed and has not answered any of my calls or emails since.

I hope you are not as unlucky me and the other 13 climbers he stole from. If you require any further dertails please email.

BTW, can anyone recommend a local guide?

RegardsJOHN> > Dear John,> > I deeply apologize for what had happened in the expedition, and I also> apologize that I do not reply your email immediately. In these few days> I’ve been in mobile condition to prepare documents to face Martin’s> (rokosport) lawyer. I will inform you again this night to explain the> detail plan about the refund process.> > The point is I will give you 100% refund plus a half cost of your arrival> ticket from your country to Bali Indonesia. Our limit time of refund will> be on Monday, 12 November 2012.> > I will keep in touch by email, because I cannot speak english well and> much easier and formal to explain by written.> > > Best Regards,> Leo> > -----------------------> INDONESIA TREKKING> The Indonesia Adventure Travel> Kota Tigaraksa Blok AF.26/29> Kadu Agung - Tigaraksa, Tangerang 15720> Indonesia> > tel. +62-21-599 0690, +62-21-599 1904> fax. +62-21-599 0688> > website : http://www.carstenszpyramidexpedition.com> http://www.indonesia-trekking.com> e-mail : info@indonesia-trekking.com> carstensz@indonesia-trekking.com>

We went to Carstensz and neighboring mountains in June of 2010, arranging the trip through Indonesia Explorer with Steven Liwe, and things worked out well. One of the people with us, Brury, has set up Mando Explorer recently so that might also be somewhere to look into. I had tried the year before to go with Adventure Indonesia but the expedition fell through due to lack of people. The operator seemed quite reputable, though, and we actually met for a really nice day in Jakarta when I did come.

One advantage of the Indonesia Explorer was that he has established contacts in Illaga, and negotiated with the locals directly once there.

Many of these people work together and they often bundle trips between several of them...

Best of luck for the future and getting there. Do the hike in from Illaga if you can. It is an amazing place.